Breast augmentation is the surgical enlargement of a woman’s breasts. The best candidates for this surgery are young women who have small breasts and want improvement in the way they look. They must be in good physical condition, but they also need to be realistic in their expectations of the outcome. You have to realize that surgery does not automatically mean that you will have the ideal body, nor will it necessarily result in people treating you any differently than they did before you had the surgery. You have to think about what you want from the surgery and discuss your expectations with the surgeon. The surgery can increase your breast size by one or more bra cup sizes.
There are other reasons for breast augmentation besides just wanting to make improvements to your body in terms of breast size. Many women have to have such surgery to balance the breasts when one is larger than the other. It is also a reconstructive technique when women have their breasts removed because of breast cancer. Doctors usually do not hesitate as much when women want to have reconstructive surgery or when they deem that such a surgery is necessary for the woman’s health. For many women, being pregnant and breastfeeding takes a toll on their breasts and cause them to sag. Doctors may recommend a breast lift in conjunction with the enlargement and the two procedures are done at the same time. This helps women to have more self-confidence in their appearance because it helps to give them a youthful look.
When you are considering breast augmentation, your regular doctor will advise you if you are a good candidate for such surgery and will recommend a good plastic surgeon. At the time of the consultation, the surgeon will answer any of your questions and try to alleviate any concerns you may have. He/She will tell you that a typical breast augmentation surgery takes about one to two hours and that you can have either local or general anesthetic. The procedure is performed in the outpatient’s surgery, or day surgery and you will not have to stay overnight at the hospital.
Not everyone is a good candidate for breast augmentation. Doctors like to make sure that the patient is in good health with no existing medical conditions. The patient will experience soreness and swelling following the surgery and the breasts may be very sensitive to stimulation for several weeks following the procedure. There are risks associated with any surgery and this type of surgery is no different. Bleeding and infection are the main ones that doctors worry about and therefore extensive blood tests are necessary before the surgery to ensure that there are no diseases or infections already present. Some patients may be concerned about the amount of pain they can expect to have following the surgery. Pain medication is given to the patients and they are advised on how to take it. There are also devices known as pain pumps that they can use.
Women who have had one or both breasts removed because of cancer and have then had radiation treatment may not be good candidates for breast augmentation. This is because the radiation causes the skin tissue to become thin and this doesn’t work well for implants. Any woman who has not had successful implants in the past will also be turned down as candidates for the procedure.
The recovery period following breast augmentation surgery is usually within a few days. However, if you work at a job that requires you to do heavy lifting, the doctor may recommend a longer recuperation period. Physical contact with the breasts needs to be avoided for at least three weeks. The scars associated with the surgery will fade but this may take several months or a year.
When you meet with the surgeon, he/she will give you a list of instructions that you must follow to prepare for the surgery. The surgeon will also discuss the implants that will be used and the type of anesthetic that will be used. You will not be allowed to drive following the surgery, because of the anesthetic, so you have to make sure you have arrangements for someone to pick you up at the hospital. If the doctor uses a general anesthetic, you will sleep through the whole procedure. The usual method, though, is to use a local anesthetic and a sedative to make you drowsy, but you will remain awake throughout the procedure.
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